CHANGING L IVES 4

Disabilities Services

MARK YOUR CALENDARSUPCOMING CCDS FALL EVENTS:

October 6, 2015 Paint and Sip Fundraiser Newton Plaza, Latham, NY

October 25, 2015 CCDS October fest: A celebration brunch, for adults served by CCDS. Normanside Country Club, Delmar, NY

November 12, 2015Hope for the Hol idays Fundraiser Glennpeter Jewelers, Albany, NY

Please check out our website:www.ccdservices.org for registration information as dates approach.

Don’t forget us as a SEFA charity choice this fal l . #999-01017

CHANGING LIVES

Summer 2015

A N E W S L E T T E R O F C A T H O L I C C H A R I T I E S D I S A B I L I T I E S S E R V I C E S

IN THIS ISSUERECENT HAPPENINGSStand Up! - Action is inspired in CCDS six-week Self-Advocacy class - pg. 2

INDIVIDUALS WE SUPPORTHard Work Brings Success - Jon Thomas grows business - pg. 2

Pomea’s Strength - Pomea reaches her goals with help from her personal trainer, Tommy Curtis - pg. 3

RECOGNITION CORNER

Staff of the Year - pg. 3Returning Board Member - pg. 3Survey Results - pg. 3

UPCOMING EVENTSEvening at the Symphony & Champagne Reception on August 5 - pg. 4

Fall Events - pg. 3

Photo taken at Hop Into Spring 2015

Reflecting on the last few months of progress in our agency, I am both appreciative and encouraged. I am appreciative of the hard work, dedica-

tion, and support from staff members, and encouraged by the continuing develop-ment and growth in our organization.

One area that has been particularly inspiring, is the development of our interview process with individuals we support. The interviews are one way in which we are continuing our advancement toward person centered excellence at CCDS. In addition to being a helpful source in determining a focus for life, interviews allow CCDS leadership to ascertain whether or not its practices are helping each person have the kind of relationships and experi-ences in life that he or she desires.

The magic of these interviews is that each one is conducted in addition to, and outside of, the standard annual planning meeting. Staff selected to perform the interview do not typically work with the interviewee, so the approach is fresh, and few presumptions and preconceived notions are at play. The interview takes place at a convenient time and comfortable place for the interviewee.

These are not merely interviews, but they are conversations about life — how does the person want to live their life and how we at CCDS, can help the person to achieve their goals. In fact, we are now calling them “Life Journey Conversations”.

It is encouraging to watch as the informa-tion learned through these Life Journey Conversations improve people’s quality of life. Some changes are extraordinary while others are simpler, but both are significant.

- Anne M. Ogden, Executive Director

Throwback to Hop Into Spring - We had a blast!

FROM ANNE’S DESK

STAND UP! Recently, Catholic Charities Disabilities Services hosted a six week SANYSU series of Self-Advocacy classes for individuals we support. The class was open to all, entirely voluntary, and a wonderful success. In each class, we had the privilege of observing a reserved group of individuals grow into a supportive and outgoing group of advocates — for themselves, and for each other.

SANYSU stands for the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State University. Each class repeated the simple and empowering motto: “Stand up!”, and the class reached beyond the notion of simply sticking up for oneself. The students ranged widely in age, background, and life experience, yet all were encouraged to dig deep into themselves and discover things to be proud of. For the final project showcase, some students chose to show off talents that they were already culminating, such as Zumba instruction, poetry, and video editing. Others chose to highlight a favorite character trait or a situation where they persevered and fought for something they wanted. Perhaps most poignantly, a few students presented on tasks and activities where they had been told they would never succeed, and did anyway.

For every person in every situation, advocacy can be a difficult concept to put into practice. Prioritizing oneself and one’s ambitions is much easier said than done, but this class helped inspire action. For this group, classmates became friends, ‘Stand up!’ became more than a motto, and self-advocacy became more than just a good idea. Congratulations, SANYSU Graduates of 2015!

If you are interested in attending a future SANYSU class series, e-mail Susan Kittle at susank@ccdservices.org or call (518) 724-1798.

- Kaitlin Lewis, Community Supports Administrative Assistant

HARD WORK BRINGS SUCCESS At the age of ten, a young Jon Thomas decided he would one day own his own concession business. Fourteen years later, Jon has made that dream a reality, becoming the successful owner of Jon’s Concessions.

Eager to start his own business, Jon began researching and learning how to form and manage a concession. His research and learning paid off. The next summer, armed with a keen business mind, a unique ability to understand his market, a monetary gift from his grandmother and good old fashioned motivation, Jon launched Jon’s Concessions. Cowboy hats, wallets, and baseball caps were among some of the first items Jon purchased to sell at local fairs and festivals.

New Baltimore’s Agfest was the opening venue for Jon’s Conces-sions, and from there, it took right off! Jon reinvested his initial profit, adding more novelties to his stand. As Jon continued working through the summer, participating in several local venues, including the Greene County Youth Fair, his business grew.

In the following years, Jon’s Concessions did well at the popular Altamont Fair. However, after two years, Jon decided to do business exclusively at local, free events. “It made more sense to me to stick with the smaller, free events, because parents are more willing to buy things for their kids if they don’t have to pay to get in”, Jon explained. At such events Jon’s Concessions has continued to grow. Four years after launching, Jon had enough profit to purchase a trailer for his business.

Owning and managing Jon’s Concessions is something Jon enjoys because it allows him to travel and meet new people. His advice to anyone wanting to start their own business is, “Keep investing, and keep your business new and fresh! You have to do a lot of work, but it’s worth it if it’s what you want to do.”

- Melissa Jones, CCDS Service Coordinator

CHANGING L IVES 2 3 CHANGING LIVES

POMEA’S STRENGTHPomea Dailey has a new man in her life. He challenges her, sometimes asking her to do things she doesn’t like, but she continues to keep him around. You may be asking yourself “why”? Well, this new man, Tommy Curtis, is Pomea’s personal trainer. Tommy has been meeting with Pomea in her home, a residence of CCDS, since February 2015. Twice a week they meet to weight train. Despite not being a morning person, Pomea never misses a workout, even on early Saturdays.

Pomea and Tommy have developed a positive, win-win, relation-ship; they have a reciprocal exchange of energy. Pomea shares how Tommy won’t let her get away with anything; there is no cheating, no giving up. Already, thanks to her hard work, and Tommy’s help, Pomea has achieved one of her goals, and is able to lift ten pound weights, an eight pound increase from where she started! As she gains upper body strength, her transfers from her wheelchair are quicker and easier. Pomea is also working to propel herself in her wheelchair, up her steep, mountain-like driveway. She says because of these work-out experiences, despite sometimes being achy, she is happier.

For both Pomea and Tommy, there are many more goals still to achieve. Future plans include walking in tandem around Pomea’s neighborhood, strength training by pulling tires behind her wheel-chair and a 5K race. Pomea welcomes these challenges, as does Tommy, saying he does not let information about Pomea’s history cloud his expectations. He does not know the “can’t” or “won’t” side of her. For him, working with Pomea is exhilarating because she is willing to follow instructions, does not question directions and always maintains a positive attitude. There is no doubt that Pomea has found new inspiration in her work with Tommy, and he has found the same in his work with her.

If you have been inspired by Pomea’s story and would like more information please email Pomea at dailypomea@yahoo.com. - Lisa Hodgkinson, Behaviorist

RECOGNITION CORNERCongratulations Beth Cassidy, CCDS Staff of The Year

We are proud to honor Beth Cassidy, Family Support Services Coordinator, as Staff of the Year at CCDS. Beth coordinates our Family Support Services Grant program. Through this program she does a tremendous job of administering all the State Grant funds for individuals to live the lives they choose, while remaining at home with family. In addition, she cultivates relationships

with organizations to assist in outreach efforts and greater collaboration with our agency. Beth is truly invested in providing high quality supports to those we serve. She is an amazing asset to Catholic Charities, and a fine example of a person carrying out our mission.

The CCDS Board Welcomes Shameka Andrews We are delighted to welcome Shameka Andrews as she returns to our CCDS board this summer. Shameka lives in Albany and is a Wellness Coordinator for the Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley in Troy. Shameka is also a Council Member at NYS Devel-opmental Disabilities Planning Council and at the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). We are grateful to have her as a resource and advocate for us at CCDS.

SATISFACTION SURVEY RESULTSOur staff at CCDS constantly strive to provide the individuals we support with the best possible services and supports. In addition to in-person meetings and telephone check-in calls, we share an annual questionnaire with each person we support and their family members. We are pleased to share our results with you.

Survey Result Highlights:

• 94% of the individuals and families we serve agree our services are person centered.

• 8.6 - The average rating of services provided by CCDS out of 10.

Please visit our website www.ccdservices.org and go to our page on Quality Assurance to view the rest of our results.

Self Advocacy Graduating Class, 2015

Tommy and Pomea

Shameka Andrews

Beth CassidyJon setting up Jon’s Concessions, June 2015